I'm gonna apologize for the shortness of this chapter ahead of time. I guess I got so caught up with starting this one that I made the first chapter too long and this one too short! Don't worry, though…it's not like this is the last chapter or anthing!
Quillsandbolts: Hey! I missed you! I was wonderin' if you had deserted me, but if you said that you read the last story, then I believe you (just wish you would've reviewed…). Anyway, I also somewhat think of us all as some kind of squad/team/group/circle/clique/etc.. Kinda weird, huh?
chyp: When are you gonna put up another chapter on your story? Some of us are waiting… And thanx for reviewing as usual.
In another realm, in a dimly lit chamber, the five members of the Council were hard at work, concocting the ultimate plan that would finally end in success. It was a plan that was foolproof; they had managed to think of every possible outcome and had accordingly adjusted for any discrepancies. As they discussed this scheme, a warlock materialized into their chamber.
He was of average height, roughly six feet. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with short, blond hair and deep blue eyes. Despite the coloration of his face, he still maintained many dark features about him. Although his eyes were blue, they were very shifty. His demeanor was questionable. He had those stereotypical "evil" characteristics that distinguished him from normal people.
"You summoned me?" he asked in an almost indecipherable British accent.
"Yes, Selim," Tenebrion, one of the Council members, said.
"Please," the warlock said insisted, "call me Miles."
"Miles," Anamalech, another Council member said, "we have chosen you to carry out our plan to destroy the Complete."
"The Complete?" Miles asked. "The most powerful witches in the world? Going against them is surely suicide, and I'm not even that powerful."
"How powerful would you rate yourself?" Ardad asked.
"Slightly above average," Miles replied hesitantly.
"That will suffice," Andras responded. "Your mission is not to destroy the Complete, per se, but to distract them."
"It will be your job," Mastiphal continued, "to be the one who drives them over the edge. You see, we have been bombarding them with many lower-level demons and warlocks to wear them down. It seems that they are dealing with a lot of issues at the moment, which provides the greatest opportunity for us."
"And we must capitalize on it," Ardad added. "We are sensing a great deal of stress and mixed emotions from each of them, which in effect is weakening them as well. With your arrival, you will be the proverbial 'straw that breaks the camel's back.' You will push them to make a grievous mistake."
"One that will lead to their own destruction," Tenebrion said. "Prepare yourself, Miles, for when you succeed, you will be greatly rewarded with power you cannot begin to imagine."
"But you must wait for our call," Mastiphal warned. "Do not attack until we call on you to do so, otherwise everything we have worked for may be lost."
"I understand," Miles said, bowing slightly. Then he snapped both his fingers and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
After the warlock left, the Council members began to proceed to the next step in their plan. They began to weave a spell that would form the foundation of it all; the destruction of the Complete.
But, from her secret hiding place, Lina could hear everything that was going on. She had heard all about their plan to destroy the Complete. She had heard everything that the Council had told Miles. This time, however, she was experiencing mixed emotions about what to do next. On the one hand, she believed that if she told the brothers about the plan being conspired against them, she might be able to convince James that her intentions are in fact good and driven by love. On the other hand, a small part of her wanted to exact some type of revenge on James and his brothers for banding together to essentially dump her. She had never been dumped before; the thought of it made her more angry than depressed. Still not having decided, she disappeared from the chamber in a flame.
"Did you sense that?" Andras asked the other members.
"Yes," Ardad answered. "I felt another presence in this room…"
Ugh, just when you thought that she was out of the picture! That crazy girl is like Freddy Krueger; she always comes back. But I'll see what I can do about that… Coming up in the next chapter: Wesley is forced to deal with his suppressed issues, while the Council fools a fool…
